Food stamp headache

What you should do is schedule an appointment with your caseworker. When you
have the appointment bring everything that has been asked for.

The most common items are:
Pay stubs, or proof of income
Utility bills; electric, gas (bring phone bill also just in case)
Lease agreement or mortgage paperwork
SS cards for all members needing service
Photo ID for all members over 18 needing service
Household composition form; confirms who lives in the household
When your case worker makes copies have them make an extra set for you and
have them sign and date the set that they give you, not the originals the
copies. When/if they tell you that you have them get a signed and dated
print out of the confirmation that you have the benefits. Every time that
you get a notice that says that you need to turn in certain items check to
make sure that you have turned it in and if not do the same procedure each
time, make a paper trail. If you do this a couple times to confirm that this
is a cycle with them file for a hearing. It can be a pain and time consuming
but if you can put their but in the sling they will get you what you deserve
and find out what the problem has been and deal with it.

OK yes I know someone that works in the AFS offices in the area that I grew
up in so I know some of the games to play. If you follow all of what they
want and they still wont give the food stamps to you contact Legal Aid about
it and tell them what has been going on. The first and foremost important
thing to remember is to keep ALL copies of papers from the "welfare" office
and build that paper trail so that it isn't your word against theirs.

Also DON'T send them the papers that they are asking for TAKE them in and
MAKE SURE to get those signed and dated copies that prove that you turned
them in.

Susan
< Wishing for our troops to come home soon. Peace and love be with them all.
>
-------Original Message-------
[snipped for brevity]
I've already applied for food stamps and medicaid. I was approved for
them both. However, the food stamps have been an issue to me, as they keep
taking them away saying that I'm not supplying them with everything they
need. I keep sending them what they ask for and they keep telling me I've
been denied. I've gone in and brought them what they request, and they tell
me everything is in order, but then I get that letter saying they need more
info.

Going into the Public Aid office here is an all day deal. You sit for
hours in the morning, and if you don't get in to see your caseworker before
lunch, you sit for another 1.5 hours waiting on them to return. Once they
get back, you're still stuck sitting until they call you. If you don't get
called before they close, you have to go back the next day and do the same
thing all over again. I can't afford to lose pay on any given day... and I
have by going round and round with these people.
When I lived in a different county, I was able to get in and out of the
office within a few hours, but since I now live in the City of Chicago, I
have to go to a Cook County office that services thousands of people on a
daily basis.
I'm just grateful that I don't have these issues with the medicaid. Once
I signed up for it and was approved, I never had to send them anything. My
card is reissued every month and there are no worries.
~Patsy~
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